Last week we had a good windy day. My rudder cam's are not returning correctly. Got out and had to use the mainsheet rope trick. I headed into the wind, let the main loose and proceeded to loosen the cam. About that time the wind shifted and next think I knew I was doing an imitation of a cat climbing a tall fence. I think at one point I was up over the side rails on my 16 and damnable near straddling the hull! Did not flip but man was that a fun few seconds

Suggestion: if you're going to pitchpole, go big! With dinky little halfhearted pitchpoles you land on the mast or near the forestay, but when you really cook one you are clear of everything. The last one I had totally got us by surprise and we landed past the tip of the mast.

from August 1993...an article I wrote for my Sailing Club newsletter.....

Circus-Circus, or how not to use a trapeze.

C:JHL\JohnPers\KSCNews6.Ltr August 14, 1993. 732 words.

On the day of the luau, we were doing our best to build up our appetites so we could do justice to the roast pig at the Vice-Commodore's Party. It was sunny and warm, with steady northerlies of 25 km/h kicking up waves of three to four feet: great conditions for hearty sailing. Harry Adderley was the first out, launching a Laser at 0800, and the gusts of kept him on his tennis toes. Later, others followed, including Laser experts Innes Sr. and Jr., enjoying a last weekend of 'quality time together' before Doug ventures off to University. Dave and Wendy Perry had a great deal of practice hiking out on a Pontiac, I mean an Albacore.

Red-taggers Phil Worthington and Paul Zaleski provided Hobie style entertainment to the deck-chair brigade. The stay-at-homes enjoyed the spectacle of myriad spray-drenched sailors flying across the waves, with hulls lifting. Each and every mariner returned to the beach soaked to the skin and glowing with excitement. I heard strange nautical mutterings: adrenal remarks about "unbelievable speed", "great wind," "planting a hull without capsizing," and "we did it three times," or words to that effect. The visitors wanted to know, " When can we sign up for membership?"

Within the hour, like vultures at a kill, Louis Nadeau, Tim Lawlor and others gathered, salivating at the opportunity to practice their dancing.

Next it was Gord Klein and myself trying not to get washed off the hulls of Dasher. Gord is an experienced Laser sailor, with a good sense of balance. His voluble vocabulary helped focus my concentration so that we stayed more or less upright. Then Louis and Paul took over the Hobie 18, while Tim and I (on the Hobie 16) tried to improve on our previous amazing adventure. No, there were no capsizes, as after all, cats don't like to get wet.

The thrills were boundless, what with the winds howling, the waves crashing and a hull flying here and there. It is astounding how waves and spray can find their way inside a K-Way and wetsuit, and then trickle down one's neck.

By this time, Mark and Grant were rigging their well-known vessel, yet another Hobie 18, with the fruity name of "Top Banana." What dance step were they going to practise? The one-hull boogie?

Brave Paul took out Blitzen solo, but wearing a trapeze, and I helmed Dasher, as it was Tim's turn to ride the wire and practise the "toenail two-step". On our third run downwind, we hit a glitch or a pothole or something. This meant that Tim's footing disappeared from under him, just as we powered into the wave in front. Goodbye! You could hear him yell as he swung past the shroud, bounced off the decking, and headed for the jib-stay. Do not fear, dear reader, Dasher did not capsize as skilled helmsmanship came to the rescue.

The magic of a pendulum is that it has a fixed radius, so Tim did not hit the jib, but ended up secure in the trapeze harness, spinning gently in front of the mast, with no harm done.

As you can imagine, that evening some very tired cat sailors enjoyed the party and kept all amused with their comments and embellished demonstrations. Summer camp was never this good!

John Lunn Kanata Sailing Club (I now sail out of Nepean SC, a few miles downriver).

_________________1989 Hobie SX18 Sail # 1947 "In Theory..."'Only two things are infinite, the universe, and human stupidity. But I'm not sure about the former.'

Agreed, stay with the boat, it can sail away faster than you can swim wearing a life jacket.

If you have to bail, try not to land on the mainsail feet first, or (if you are wearing a harness) belly first, as you may damage the sail. Try landing 'flat' to spread the load/strain. (I've heard two separate stories from buddies about flying through the mainsail when capsizing).

In our last capsize (first one in six years!, due to being newbies using a spin), I had time to climb down the outside of the wings down to the 'hull in the water'.

One also has to be careful in shallower waters not to remain on top of the 'hull in the air' such that you drive the Hobie turtle, potentially putting the tip of the mast into the mud. Easy way to snap a mast.

be safe, have fun.

_________________1989 Hobie SX18 Sail # 1947 "In Theory..."'Only two things are infinite, the universe, and human stupidity. But I'm not sure about the former.'

From my own experience, it is not good for your boat having a pitchpole in shallow water.

A couple of years ago I was on an impressive screaming broad reach toward the shore while trying my best to keep my leeward bow above the surface when the leeward rudder hit the bottom and it was enough to pivot the bow down and cause a pitchpole. It would not have been so bad if the leeward bow hadn't hit the bottom and caused the boat to cartwheel forward. My neighbors along the shore were impressed.

After uprighting the boat I noticed the fiberglass boots around two of my pylons had cracks in them from the stress of the bow stopping suddenly (when it hit the shallow bottom during the pitchpole) so that kept my boat out of service for a few days while it was being repaired.